Sunday, 30 October 2016

Is Britain sure about Brexit?

So,
it now looks increasingly certain that Britain is heading for a ‘hard Brexit’.
That’s because our new unelected Prime Minister, Mrs Theresa May, insists
that’s what British people want.

Of
course, Mrs May isn’t correct in assuming what British people want. By a tiny
margin the Referendum returned a vote in favour of ‘Leaving’ the EU. But nobody
was asked what type of Brexit we should have – and there are many possible
options.

Mrs
May has categorically stated that there will be an end to ‘free movement of
people’ – which of course will end choices for Britons as much as for citizens
from the rest of Europe.

By
ending ‘free movement’, Mrs May will also be ending Britain’s free and full
access to the EU Single Market.

We
can be sure of that, because the message from all the other 27 EU nations
couldn’t be clearer: Britain cannot be part of the EU Single Market without
accepting the fundamental ‘four freedoms’ of the EU, including ‘free movement
of people’.

No
ifs or buts, Mrs May has now told the British people that ‘Brexit means Brexit’
and she’s also telling us what type of Brexit Britain wants, without even
asking us (or Parliament).

The
benefits of Britain’s EU membership are extensive – but those benefits will end
when we Brexit. Below is a summary of some of the EU benefits we’ll lose.

If,
after reading about these benefits, you feel that Britain shouldn’t Brexit
after all, please widely share this article.

Britain
hasn’t yet left the EU. We haven’t even submitted our ‘Notice to Quit’ which
gives us two-years to pack our bags.

So,
whilst we’re still in the EU, there’s a chance – however small – that we could
stay, if enough people across the country demand that Brexit should be
reconsidered.

But
once we’re out, the chances are we won’t be returning. The clock is now
ticking..

•
FREE TRADE

Top
of the list is that Britain currently enjoys full free trading status with all
the other EU member states – representing the world’s most lucrative market
place, and by far our most important trading partner.

As
such, almost half of our exports go to the EU, and over half of our imports
come from the EU.

The
EU has an iron tariff wall against non-members; so would we really want to be
on the wrong side of that wall as an ex-member or by leaving the EU Single
Market?

Even
non-European countries that have negotiated ‘free trade’ agreements with the EU
don’t enjoy full free trade access to Europe’s internal market, as Britain does
now.

•
A SAY IN EUROPE

Next
on the list is that as a leading member of the EU, Britain has a say – and a
veto – on the rules, laws and future direction of our continent, Europe. As an
ex-EU member, we won’t

•
LIVING IN THE EU

The
right to live, work, study or retire across our continent is a precious
membership benefit that around two million Britons already enjoy, and many
people, especially the young, don't want to lose.

When
we live and work in any other EU county, we can enjoy many of the same rights
as citizens of that country – such as access to the state healthcare and
education of that country, and the same rights as workers of that country.

Similarly,
free or low-cost healthcare when travelling on business or holiday across our
continent is another cherished benefit of Britain’s EU membership.

Once
‘free movement’ ends, so will our automatic residency rights across all of the
EU, plus Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

And
citizens from the rest of the EU will also not have the same freedom to come
and live and work in the UK, making it much more difficult to fill key
vacancies, both skilled and unskilled, for which we have a chronic shortage of
workers.

•
EU PROTECTION

EU
laws protecting the rights of workers, consumers and travellers across the
continent are probably among the most important EU membership benefits.

For
example, 4-weeks paid holiday a year; the 48-hour working week;
anti-discrimination law; guaranteed rights for agency workers; guaranteed
worker consultation – all of these protections largely exist because of the EU.

When
we lose the strong armour of EU employment law, workers’ rights will be at the
mercy of a Conservative government. Anyone who believes they would then be in
safe hands may be in for a rude shock after Brexit…

Consumer
and traveller protection laws are also much stronger as a result of EU laws
than can be offered by national legislation alone. How can a single national
government assure safety and protection across a continent?

The
simple fact is that it can’t – it needs the reach of a pan-European
intergovernmental organisation to achieve that (albeit with the democratic
consensus of member states).

For
example, comprehensive passenger compensation when, say, an Icelandic volcano
seriously disrupts air travel – such compensation is only possible because of
EU law, not national law.

Abolishing
exorbitant mobile-roaming charges across Europe was also only possible because
of EU law – no nation state alone could have achieved that.

Europe-wide
consumer protections, such as when buying products online or by phone, came
about because of EU law rather than national law.

•
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

Britain
enjoys cleaner beaches as a direct result of EU directives on protecting the
environment.

Tens
of thousands are killed every year in the UK because our air isn’t clean
enough.

Last
year the Supreme Court in London unanimously ruled that the British government
must make plans to clean our air, in accordance with the EU air quality
directive which came into force in 2010.

Would
our government bother without the protection offered to us by the EU?

In
addition, the EU is leading the world in tackling climate change - something
that individual countries alone simply couldn't undertake.

When
Britain leaves the EU, we will lose the benefit of EU-wide legislation to
protect the very air we breathe.

•
NEGOTIATING POWER

Because
the EU is the world’s richest, biggest market-place, and the world’s biggest exporter
and the world's biggest importer, it can negotiate the best trade agreements
with other countries.

It’s
often said that when negotiating, you get better deals if you’re the same size
or bigger than your opposite number.

As
one of the world’s biggest economies, the EU has the muscle to negotiate
extremely favourable trading terms with the world’s countries, and has done so
with over 50 countries (including one this week with Canada).

Could
Britain, being much smaller than the EU, achieve similarly good trade
agreements with the world’s countries?

It’s
unlikely, but in any event, it will take many years to find out after we have
left the EU.

Is
Britain sure that we should abandon our 43-year membership of the EU in
exchange for the years of pain and uncertainty that Brexit will bring us?

It’s
true that 17 million people voted for Brexit. But that’s 17 million out of a
population of 64 million. And two countries out of the four that make up the
Union of the United Kingdom – Scotland and Northern Ireland – don’t want
Brexit.

If
you believe that Brexit is a mistake, it’s time to speak up, before we leave
the EU and take a one-way ticket into the unknown.

If
you're one of the 17 million who voted for Brexit but have now changed your
mind; if you’re one of the 16 million who voted against Brexit; if you're one
of more than 30 million who didn’t or couldn't vote and are against Brexit:
it’s time we let Mrs May really know what Britain really wants.

Join my Facebook campaign to keep Britain in the European Union:Reasons2Remain__________________________________________________________________

• Readers comments are welcome, including opinions that oppose mine. Comments need to be on-topic. Personal attacks and anonymous postings will not be allowed. To read more about the style of debating that I encourage on all my blogs, please read my article: 'Debate, don't hate'